Memorable Manitobans: William Fingland (1862-1946)

William Fingland Click to enlarge

Architect.

Born at Rockton, Ontario on 5 August 1862, son of William and Mary Ann Fingland, he was educated at the School of Practical Science (Toronto). He came to Manitoba in 1884 but later returned east, engaging in various architectural offices in New York City from 1893 to 1905.

He came back to Winnipeg in 1905 and opened an architectural practice. He also served as President of the Manitoba Board of Examiners of Architects. During the course of his architectural career, he designed buildings in Winnipeg, Moose Jaw, Regina, Saskatoon, and Edmonton. In 1907, he was appointed consulting architect for the Legislature Building in Alberta and, in 1915, he was Acting Provincial Architect of Manitoba. He served as President of the Manitoba Association of Architects (1913).

In 1887, he married Barbara Bella Chisholm (1864-1945) and they had six sons and three daughters, including William Clarence Fingland (1888-?), Bernice Evelyn Fingland (1894-1983), John Colin Fingland, Jennie Marion Fingland (1899-?), Evan Beverley Fingland (1902-?), Louis Alexander Fingland (1904-?), Harold Arthur Fingland (1907-1986), and Ruth Isabel Fingland (1909-1993). The family lived at 120 Walnut Street (1911). He was a member of the AF & AM (Scottish Rite, 32nd degree), Knights of Tabor, AAO, and NMS.

He died at Winnipeg on 25 May 1946 and was buried in the Brookside Cemetery.

Some of his architectural works in Manitoba included:

Building	Location	Year	Status
Wesley Methodist Church	Carman	1906-1907
Selkirk Central School [expansion]	Eaton Avenue, Selkirk	1907-1908	Demolished (?)
Selkirk Public Library	Eaton Avenue, Selkirk	1909	Demolished (?)
Chapman House	85 West Gate, Winnipeg	1909
Enderton Building	334 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg	1909-1910	Demolished (1969)
Bank of Hamilton	119 Marion Street, Winnipeg	1910
Bank of Hamilton	72 Third Street, Roland, RM of Roland	1910
Lothian Building	154 Evanson Street, Winnipeg	1911
Rosedale Apartments	280 Rosedale Avenue, Winnipeg	1911
Glen Avon Apartments	464 Spence Street, Winnipeg	1912
McKittrick House	64 Middle Gate, Winnipeg	1913
Avenue Building (addition)	265 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg	1913
Lyndhurst Apartments	181 Balmoral Street, Winnipeg	1913
Thomson and Pope Building	379-381 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg	1914
Lipton Apartments	975 Lipton Street, Winnipeg	1914-1921
Beverley Block	719 Beverley Street, Winnipeg	1914
St. James Telephone Exchange Building	340 Rutland Street, Winnipeg	1915-1916	Demolished (2022)
Manitoba Government Telephones Building	19 Ninth Street, Brandon	1916-1917
Dauphin Telephone Exchange Building	305 Main Street North, Dauphin	1916-1917
Bradburn Building	410 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg	1922
Greater Winnipeg Water District Railway Station	598 Plinguet Street, Winnipeg	1927

Sources:

Who’s Who in Western Canada: A Biographical Dictionary of Notable Living Men and Women of Western Canada, Volume 1, edited by C. W. Parker, Vancouver: Canadian Press Association, 1911.

1911 Canada census, Automated Genealogy.

The Story of Manitoba by F. H. Schofield, Winnipeg: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1913.

“Unearth secret chamber under Normal School,” Winnipeg Tribune, 17 July 1915, page 1.

Birth and death registrations, Manitoba Vital Statistics.

“William Fingland,” Winnipeg Free Press, 28 May 1946, page 19.

Obituary [Bernice Evelyn Fingland], Winnipeg Free Press, 18 April 1983, page 46.

Obituary [Harold Arthur Fingland], Winnipeg Free Press, 11 August 1986, page 33.

Obituary [Ruth Isabel Fingland], Winnipeg Free Press, 21 July 1993, page 22.

Winnipeg Building Index

Obituaries and burial transcriptions, Manitoba Genealogical Society.

We thank Nathan Kramer and Jordan Makichuk for providing additional information used here.

This page was prepared by Gordon Goldsborough.

Page revised: 23 March 2023

Memorable Manitobans This is a collection of noteworthy Manitobans from the past, compiled by the Manitoba Historical Society. We acknowledge that the collection contains both reputable and disreputable people. All are worth remembering as a lesson to future generations. Search the collection by word or phrase, name, place, occupation or other text: Custom Search Browse surnames beginning with: A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | Y | Z Browse deaths occurring in: 1984 | 1985 | 1986 | 1987 | 1988 | 1989 | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 Send corrections and additions to this page to the Memorable Manitobans Administrator at biographies@mhs.mb.ca Criteria for Memorable Manitobans | Suggest a Memorable Manitoban | Firsts | Acknowledgements Help us keep history alive!